Are AC Milan Back? Not Quite...

It would be irresponsible and foolish of me not to at the very least, give some notice to the amazing feat that a bunch of Milan no-names did against Juventus at the San Siro. This is a club I had given up on, thinking it would take at least a quarter century for them to be relevant again.

But they did it, they defeated the behemoth known as Juventus, with one of the goals of the season, by a player who did not cost two yachts and a spaceship.





It was the performance though that got me. This was a team effort, people pulling together who were tactically sound and hung in there with Juventus every step of the way.

And when that opportunity fell, it was one of their very own that put it away to devastating effect.

So are Milan now back? Should we now pop open the champagne and invite the friends over to celebrate the return of one of the most revered football clubs in the history of the game?

Not so fast, jack.

This was a monumental victory, and a statement. But it's only one game, and that does not erase all the underperformance of years. This win does not mean that when Milan get into a rough patch, Montella has the ability to get them out of it and eek out wins from difficult games.

Relax...

I am in here for the long game and too many times, people are short-sighted. They get excited too easily and they get themselves justifiably burned. That's happened to me too many times and I know all too well not to fall into the trap in believing after one game that Milan are now title challengers.

It's promising though and there is something to build upon. Locatelli is a breath of fresh air, and to have someone from the youth system without the diva attitude, who is young and willing to sweat blood for his team is an asset worth millions to any manager.

And that's two incredible G's back-to-back that he's served up for his club.

And let's not forget about the natural heir to Buffon's throne, Donnarumma, who produced an exceptional save in the very last minute in the game.

There is quality in this Milan team, but more importantly, there is a togetherness and a unity that can take you through games you ought not to win, based on being inferior to your opponent based purely on ability. Juventus should have beaten Milan without too much trouble, so the fact that the reverse happened deserves a pat on the back to all the players and Montella.

But he's got to move forward and January is an important month for the Milan coach. Not only for their consistency, but they need a name in this team. If they are still in those top three or four positions, to maintain it and help the young players, it's imperative that they get an experienced player who will help hold onto that 1-0 lead, or assist in getting the team back in the game to gain a crucial point.

Milan are not yet back, but at least after so much heartache and anger, there is something to finally smile about.

HH


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